Memories Can Make It Worthwhile

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#photography, bareback, cold, colorado, country, cowboy, cowboys, culture, elizabeth Stampede, freelance, freelancing, frigid, horse, horses, lifestyle, lincoln rogers, memories, phtographing, professional, rain, rodeo, rugged, rural, sport, tough, weather, west, western

It’s not exactly Singing in the Rain, but photographing in less-than-ideal weather is something you just do when you earn money with your camera. Wind whipping up? Rain starting to pour? It might be time to reach into the camera bag and pull out the emergency countermeasures (known by most people as lightweight windbreakers and plastic bags) and keep shooting.

While I have a lot of great photography related memories… a lot… I will always recall the freezing Sunday afternoon rain of the 2014 Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo. Despite it being early June, the downpour was frigid. My fingers were so cold they were basically stuck in the curved position of gripping my camera. On the positive side, at least I couldn’t drop my equipment in the mud.

Colorado cowboy Tyler Scales gritted out a rain-soaked ride for a solid 83-point score, which was the best bareback ride of the day.

I am a freelancer, so I get to choose what I cover and what I photograph. Ice cold rain is not something I typically enjoy (and I pity those that do), but I do love covering good rodeos and photo opportunities in the rain can be unique. So I stayed a while longer and I am glad I did.

While the crowd had already been sent home due to weather conditions, the rodeo action restarted hours later to finish up in front of empty stands.

Why am I glad I stayed? While I was able to use some of the shots for my published article, the real reason I am glad I stayed is the memories that were made. I will always have the memories that go with those photos. Was it miserable weather for photographing? Yep. Did I want to leave sooner than I did? Yes again. But now, when I go back and look at the photos, I get to smile as I recall being there.

Sometimes I can’t believe I get paid to write and photograph. What is that old saying? Do what you love and love what you do.

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~ John 8:32

You can also find Lincoln Rogers on
www.lincolnrogers.com and the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
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A Decade of Bull!

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#photography, buckers, bucking bulls, bull, bull riding, bull team, bulls, Castle Rock, castle rock bull riding, colorado, country, cowboy, cowboys, douglas county fairgrounds, extreme, lincoln rogers, livestock, rodeo, rural, sport, stock contractors, the fence post, the fence post magazine, tough, ty rinaldo, west, western

Bull riding, that is! The 10th annual Castle Rock Bull Riding & Bull Challenge took place with two performances in front of large crowds on Saturday February 12, 2022 in Castle Rock, CO. 100+ bull riders competed, along with 33 stock contractors bringing teams of 3 bulls each. Both the bull riders and the stock contractors were vying to earn a share of over $25,000 in prize money. My article and photos have been published online by The Fence Post magazine: https://www.thefencepost.com/news/a-decade-of-bull/

Rafter R Bulls’ Red Bear showed the kind of animal athleticism that ensured Divide, CO bull rider Duece Brown was not going to be able to stay aboard during Saturday afternoon’s Castle Rock Bull Riding performance at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Castle Rock, CO (February 12, 2022).

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~ John 8:32

You can also find Lincoln Rogers on
www.lincolnrogers.com and the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
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’22 NWSS Champion Round of Rodeo

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#photography, buckle, championship, colorado, cowboy, cowboys, event, final round, horse, lincoln rogers, National Western Stock Show, photo spread, PRCA, professional, rodeo, short go, sport, title, west, western, win, winners

A new photo spread of mine has been published by The Fence Post magazine and is now online on their website. The photo spread is of the championship round of rodeo at the 2022 National Western Stock Show in Denver, CO (Sunday January 23, 2022). Click on the image to go to the photo spread.

With 5 PRCA World Titles under his belt — (AA, 2019-2021) (BR, 2020) (SB, 2021) — Roughstock cowboy Stetson Wright was introduced to the packed NWSS crowd as the top ranked bull rider coming into the final round. With everyone starting with a clean slate, an 86.5-point ride in the championship round had the big crowd cheering, but it came up short for Wright to earn an NWSS buckle.

https://www.thefencepost.com/news/2022-national-western-stock-shows-championship-round-of-rodeo/

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~ John 8:32

You can also find Lincoln Rogers on
www.lincolnrogers.com and the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
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Animal Athletes at the ’22 NWSS Rodeo

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#photography, action, animal, animal athlete, athlete, bronc, buck, bucking, colorado, country, cowboy, cowboys, danger, dangerous, denver, denver coliseum, event, extreme, historic, horse, horses, lincoln rogers, livestock, lunatic fringe, lunatic from hell, National Western Stock Show, power, Pro Rodeo, rodeo, roughstock, rural, saddle, saddle bronc, sport, stock show, tradition, west, western

I love watching great animal athletes in action, especially horses. The championship round of rodeo at the 2022 National Western Stock Show had the best bucking stock in the sport on hand to compete against the top cowboys. The award winning “Lunatic From Hell” (out of the great “Lunatic Fringe”) showed why he is one of the best bucking horses in the sport as he not only bucked off the cowboy, but also managed to avoid stepping on the competitor while continuing to buck and show off for the big crowd on Sunday January 23, 2022.

The championship round of rodeo at the National Western Stock show also features the best bucking stock in the sport, as Creighton Curley found out the hard way when Burch Rodeo’s award winning Lunatic From Hell sent the cowboy tumbling and then stepped around him while showing off for the big crowd.

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~ John 8:32

You can also find Lincoln Rogers on
www.lincolnrogers.com and the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
I like it there!

Bull Fighter Gains a New Perspective…

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#photography, airborn, airborne, animal, animal athlete, athletic, bucking, bull, bull fighter, bull riding, bullfighter, bulls, colorado, country, cowboy, extreme, first responders, horns, kiowa, lincoln rogers, livestock, pain, perspective, responder relief fondation, responder relief rodeo, rodeo, rural, sport, tough, tough day at the office, tumble, west, western, wreck

There are bad days at the office and then there are BAD days at the office.

A bull fighter in the 2021 Responder Relief Rodeo in Kiowa, CO (August 21, 2021) had one of those days where a beast with a bad attitude decided to help him look at life from a fresh perspective.

A bull fighter found himself gaining a new perspective after being tossed in the air by one of the bulls in the 2021 Responder Relief Rodeo in Kiowa, CO on August 21, 2021. The rodeo benefits the Responder Relief Foundation, which contributes to the families of fallen first responders and helps the critically injured.

They said he was “very sore” the next day, but that he is all right. I bet he’ll tell you looking at life from a new perspective ain’t always what it’s cracked up to be…

You can find Lincoln Rogers on the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
https://usa.life/LincolnRogersWritingPhotography

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2021 Cheyenne Frontier Days Victory Photos

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#photography, 125th Cheyenne Frontier Days, accomplaiment, America, American, bareback, barrel racing, breakaway roping, broncs, bucking, bull riding, cattle, Cheyenne, Cheyenne Frontier Days, clay smith, Cole Patterson, country, cowboy, cowboys, daddy of 'em all, extreme sport, hailey kinsel, heritage, historic, history, horse, horses, jade corkill, Jim Shoulders, ky hamiltion, largest outdoor rodeo, lincoln rogers, livestock, marty yates, newt novich, rodeo, rough stock, roughstock, rural, saddle bronc, sawyer gilbert, sport, steer wrestling, Stetson Wright, success, successful, team roping, tie down roping, tim o'connell, tradition, victory, west, western, win, winners, winning, women's breakaway roping, Wyoming

The Fence Post magazine has previously published my article and photo spread images from the 2021 Cheyenne Frontier Days championship round of rodeo. One thing about Cheyenne is that there are always more photos to be shared from there than can fit into magazines!

As a result, I thought I would post on this blog 10 victory images from the 10 categories that win titles and buckles at the historic Wyoming rodeo. Due to space limitations, most of these images did not make the pages of the magazine, so I wanted them to see life here in this blog.

I hope you enjoy.

3-time PRCA world champion bareback cowboy Tim O’Connell rode MLW’s Irish Eyes to an 89-point score and a Cheyenne Frontier Days title during Sunday’s championship round on August 01, 2021. The win was O’Connell’s second Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo title.

Sawyer Gilbert of Buffalo, SD (middle) poses in front of the big crowd with her championship saddle after winning the 2021 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo Women’s Breakaway Roping event. 2021 was the just the second year of CFD hosting the event and the first year they added even money with the rest of the rodeo events.

7-time NFR qualifier Marty Yates went first in the Tie Down Roping and posted the championship round’s fastest time of 10.3 seconds to win the 2021 CFD buckle on August 01, 2021.

Utah cowboy Stetson Wright rode a high kicking Feather Fluffer for 90 points in Sunday’s (August 01) championship round for the saddle bronc title at the 2021 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo.

Heeler Jade Corkill was in process of throwing his loop for a successful run of 10.2 seconds to help win a Cheyenne title with Clay Smith. The win was Corkill’s third Cheyenne buckle (’09, ’13, ’21).

Montana Steer Wrestler Newt Novich tied a Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo arena record with this 5.1-second time in Sunday’s (August 01) championship round to win the buckle and a big check.

25-year-old Kansas Steer Roper Cole Patterson was all smiles when he was congratulated and interviewed inside the stadium arena after winning the title at the 2021 CFD.

3-time world champion barrel racer Hailey Kinsel and her popular mare “Sister” nailed down the fastest time of 17.30 seconds in the short go to win the CFD buckle on Sunday August 01, 2021.

Australian bull rider Ky Hamilton rode a leaping bull to earn the best score of the entire Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo and take home the 2021 CFD title.

Utah cowboy Stetson Wright acknowledges the applause of the big crowd as he was awarded the All Around title at the 2021 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo in Cheyenne, WY. Wright won the title by earning money in both the saddle bronc and bull riding competitions (placing 1st in saddle bronc and 4th in bull riding) to become the only roughstock cowboy to earn consecutive CFD All Around buckles since the legendary Jim Shoulders did it way back in 1963-1964.

You can find Lincoln Rogers on the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
https://usa.life/LincolnRogersWritingPhotography

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More Photos From 125th Cheyenne Frontier Days

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#photography, 125th Cheyenne Frontier Days, All Around Cowboy, American, championship, championship round, Cheyenne Frontier Days, country, cowboy, cowboys, daddy of 'em all, fence post magazine, historic, history, horse, horses, Jim Shoulders, lincoln rogers, photo spread, photography, photos, PRCA, professional, rodeo, rural, short go, sport, sporting event, Stetson Wright, the fence post, the fence post magazine, tradition, west, western, win, winners, winning, Wyoming

I was busy at the 125th Cheyenne Frontier Days in 2021. Although I could only attend for two days, I made the most of them, being able to put together stories about the CFD Museum, the chuckwagon cooking, and the championship round of rodeo.

The Fence Post magazine’s website has published more photography of mine from Cheyenne. Follow the link and take a look!

https://www.thefencepost.com/news/the-125th-cheyenne-frontier-days-in-2021/

Utah cowboy Stetson Wright acknowledges the applause of the big crowd as he was awarded the All Around title at the 2021 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo in Cheyenne, WY. Wright become the only roughstock cowboy to earn consecutive CFD All Around buckles since the legendary Jim Shoulders did it way back in 1963-1964.

Photographing and covering the Cheyenne Frontier Days is a great experience. I hope you enjoy the slice of the historic event that my images provide.

You can find Lincoln Rogers on the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
https://usa.life/LincolnRogersWritingPhotography

A link to USA.Life.
I like it there!

2021 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo Article Now Online

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#photography, 125th Cheyenne Frontier Days, 2021, America, American, article, bucking, bull rider, bull riding, bulls, Cheyenne, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Cole Patterson, country, cowboy, cowboys, daddy of 'em all, famous, hailey kinsel, historic, horse, horses, Jim Shoulders, ky hamilton, legends, lincoln rogers, outdoor rodeo, photography, PRCA, rodeo, rural, sage kimzey, Shali Lord, sport, Stetson Wright, the fence post, the fence post magazine, tim o'connell, tradition, west, western, world famous

My article with photography about the 2021 Cheyenne Frontier Days championship round of rodeo is now published on The Fence Post magazine’s website! I hope you enjoy reading about it as much as I enjoyed photographing it and getting the interviews from the contestants.

https://www.thefencepost.com/news/2021-cheyenne-frontier-days-rodeo-makes-history-and-legends/

All the big name competitors show up in Cheyenne Frontier Days, as 6-time PRCA world champion bull rider Sage Kimzey qualified for the championship round and pleased the crowd with this 86.50-point score aboard Big Red for second place in the 125th CFD rodeo.

Make sure to give the article a read and the photos a look on The Fence Post magazine’s website!

You can find Lincoln Rogers on the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
https://usa.life/LincolnRogersWritingPhotography

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Hailey Kinsel & “Sister” Dominate Cheyenne’s Championship Round

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#photography, barrel racing, Cheyenne, Cheyenne Frontier Days, cowgirl, cowgirls, equestrian, equine, hailey kinsel and sister, horse, horses, lincoln rogers, palomino, partners, professional, rodeo, sister, speed, sport, teamwork, Texas, time, victory, west, western, win, winner, winners, winning, world famous, WPRA, Wyoming

Hailey Kinsel and her mare “Sister” have become a well-known story. Obtaining the gorgeous palomino mare as a two-year-old, Hailey and her mother trained the horse themselves and now have a powerhouse competitor on their hands. How much of a powerhouse?

Kinsel and 10-year-old Sister have won three consecutive WPRA barrel racing world titles and are household names in the sport, with a legion of fans following them both.

Despite the stunning accomplishments, the duo had not yet won the prestigious Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. Until 2021, that is. And they made sure to take care of that oversight in dominating fashion. Kinsel and Sister powered through the cloverleaf pattern in a blistering 17.30 seconds. To put it in context, second place was 17.47 seconds and third place was 17.62. In a sport where hundredths of a second count, the final result was dominant.

3-time world champion barrel racer Hailey Kinsel and her popular mare “Sister” blew into the first barrel during the championship round of rodeo at the 2021 Cheyenne Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The duo nailed down the fastest time of 17.30 seconds in the round to win the CFD buckle on Sunday August 01, 2021.

“My horse is amazing,” said Kinsel as she made sure to give credit where credit is due immediately following the big win in Cheyenne. “By the grace of God she has carried me to some amazing places.  She is truly the best thing in my life.”

You can find Lincoln Rogers on the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
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Newt Novich Ties Cheyenne Steer Wrestling Record

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#photography, arena record, champion, championship, Cheyenne, Cheyenne Frontier Days, cowboy, cowboys, daddy of 'em all, horse, horses, lincoln rogers, montana, newt novich, PRCA, Pro Rodeo, professional, professional rodeo cowboys association, rodeo, sport, steer wrestler, steer wrestling, tradition, west, western, win, winner, winning, Wyoming

Montana steer wrestler Newt Novich saved his best effort for last in the championship round of rodeo at the 2021 Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) in Cheyenne, Wyoming. With Cheyenne employing the tournament style format since 2019, where the winner of the championship round also wins the CFD title, the final round sees a lot of “go big or go home” efforts from the contestants.

Newt Novich went big.

Montana Steer Wrestler Newt Novich tied a Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo arena record with this 5.1-second time in Sunday’s (August 01) championship round to win the steer wrestling buckle and a big check.

Catching up to the steer in just over 2 seconds, Novich completed his effort in a time of 5.1 seconds, which tied the arena record at the historic rodeo.

“This is huge,” said Novich when collecting his trophy buckle and saddle in front of the packed stands. “This is an honor to be a part of it. Man, this couldn’t have worked out any better.”

Asked what he wanted to say to any fellow Montana residents who might be watching the rodeo on television that day, Novich had an enthusiastic answer.

“Hey, just glad to represent you guys in Montana,” he stated with a grin. “We are bringing it back to Montana.”

Go big or go home? Novich was happy to do both, and is carrying a coveted Cheyenne buckle on his return trip to Montana.

You can find Lincoln Rogers on the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
https://usa.life/LincolnRogersWritingPhotography

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